The present invention generally relates to fat base blends and to a method of making fat base blends. More specifically, the present invention relates to fat base blends with improved processing, stability, nutritional, and mouth-feel characteristics and to a method of making improved fat base blends. The present invention further relates to a method of crystallizing fat base blends.
During the last several years, consumer interest in the amount of trans-isomers of unsaturated fatty acids present in food products has increased. Some scientists believe that trans-isomers of unsaturated fatty acids in the diet may contribute to higher levels of cholesterol in the blood (hypercholesterolemia). Trans-isomers of unsaturated fatty acids are typically formed during processing of fats and fat blends that contain unsaturated fatty acids, such as during hydrogenation of the fats or fat blends to improve the stability of the fats or fat blends.
Food manufacturers often employ a variety of different fats in a particular food product to attain a balance of properties contributed by the different fats. Different fats are often combined to form a fat blend that is subsequently incorporated in food products during manufacture. These fat blends are often referred to as fat base blends in the food manufacturing industry.
The processing and nutritional characteristics of fat base blends arc important for providing particular functional qualities, including stability and mouth-feel, to food products, such as microwavable popcorn. Food manufacturers want fat base blends that exhibit good stability, such as minimal, if any, levels of wicking. As used herein, wicking means leakage of liquid fat out of a fat-containing material, food product, or food component, such as a fat base blend. Wicking may occur during storage and transportation of food products, such as microwavable popcorn, that incorporate a fat base blend. Wicking is undesirable because the liquid fat that leaks out of the food product may stain product packaging. Also, wicking of liquid fat from a fat base blend may alter the composition of food products or food components that incorporate the fat base blend.
Food manufacturers also want fat base blends that exhibit little, if any, waxy mouth-feel during consumption of food products that contain the fat base blends. Eating food that has a waxy mouth-feel has been compared to the undesirable sensation of eating wax. In the past, food manufacturers have included trans-isomers of unsaturated fatty acids as part of fat base blends in food products to help minimize wicking of liquid fat and to minimize waxy mouth-feel in food products, such as microwavable popcorn. However, because of the concerns about the possible health effects of trans-isomers of unsaturated fatty acids, another approach is needed that minimizes or eliminates trans-isomers of unsaturated fatty acids, minimizes wicking of liquid fat, and minimizes waxy mouth-feel in fat base blends.
Development of a fat base blend that minimizes or eliminates trans-isomers of unsaturated fatty acids, minimizes wicking of liquid fat, and minimizes waxy mouth-feel is a challenging task that others have not successfully accomplished due to the problem of competing variables. For example, existing fat base blends that contain little, if any, trans-isomers of unsaturated fatty acids typically manifest a waxy mouth-feel and do not satisfactorily address concerns of food manufacturers about wicking of liquid fat from fat base blends that are included in food products. As another example, fat base blends are sometimes formulated to include interesterified fats. Interesterified fats, while sometimes helping to minimize trans-isomers of unsaturated fatty acids, are expensive and do not satisfactorily address concerns of food manufacturers about wicking of liquid fat from fat base blends that are included in food products. Consequently, food manufacturers continue to search for a fat base blend that (1) contains little, if any, trans-isomers of unsaturated fatty acids, (2) consistently minimizes wicking of liquid fat, and (3) does not impart a waxy mouth-feel when incorporated into food products, such as microwavable popcorn. The present invention satisfies these needs of food manufacturers.
The present invention concerns a method of processing a liquid fat component and a solid fat component. The method includes heating a mixture that includes the liquid fat component and the solid fat component to form a liquified fat blend and rapidly cooling the liquified fat blend under agitation in a cooling apparatus to form a nucleated fat base blend. The time between entry of the liquified fat blend into the cooling apparatus and exit of the nucleated fat base blend from the cooling apparatus is about 30 seconds, or less. The present invention further includes a nucleated fat base blend and a fat crystalline material.